The week's most interesting tech

What are the most important technology stories right now? From products and companies to services and trends, Download’s weekly panel of experts analyzes the biggest topics in tech … and a few you may have missed.

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What are the most important technology stories right now? From products and companies to services and trends, Download’s weekly panel of experts analyzes the biggest topics in tech … and a few you may have missed.

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#2: Television Is Technology

May 4th, 2017
·
62
minutes

Microsoft's new Surface Laptop and Windows 10 S, the future of TV and cord-cutting as seen by streaming services and cable companies, Facebook hiring thousands of people to detect disturbing content, and recent quarterly earnings from three tech giants.

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Links and Show Notes

In short, this version of Windows will only run apps from the Windows Store. Microsoft says this allows the OS to run leaner, be faster at login and give users greater battery life. For those who need more, the full version of Windows can be unlocked for $49.

Starting at $999, the Surface Laptop is a notebook in the traditional form factor; no screens are popping of here. It's designed to run Windows 10 S, and the company is pitching it hard to college students, a crowd where products like the MacBook Air have enjoyed great popularity.

Microsoft’s Azure cloud hosting business grew by 93 percent from the year-earlier quarter. And the cloud version of its productivity software Office 365, sold to companies as an online service, grew by 45 percent.

Google parent company Alphabet beat Wall Street estimates for first-quarter earnings, but it continued to lose more money on its experimental division that includes its self-driving car business and its life sciences group.

98% of AirPod owners said they were very satisfied or satisfied. Remarkably, 82% said they were very satisfied. The overall customer satisfaction level of 98% sets the record for the highest level of satisfaction for a new product from Apple.